Velociraptors
by Nemu-saa
Summary: Xander and Willow decide to visit a fun park together. It’s all fun and games until they’re talked into touring the Haunted House display, which turns out to be more haunted than advertised. Pre-series.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Velociraptors

**By: **BendSpaghetti

**Rated:** K+ (PG) for peril and some gore and violence

**Dedicated: **For Chloe. The Awesomest, the Wittyest, and the biggest Xan-Fan there ever was. :D

**Feedback:** Well, I _will_ probably give you a tuty-fruity jellybean, a high-five, and a cyber hug if you review this fic, but you don't _have_ to. ;) Any kind of feedback is more than welcome! That includes flames! No really, they're _hilarious_!

**Disclaimer: **All things Buffy do belong to Signor Whedon, and I do hereby distribute all material thereof illegally and without remorse because I ain't getting paid anyway. :)

**Note: **I'm sorry if there are any punctuation marks missing. For some reason, when I uploaded the document, it removed all my quotation marks, all my apostrophes, and have my commas, hyphens, and triple-periods. I think I got them all in their proper places now, and I'll check the upcoming chapters, too.

Okay, I'm gonna stop talking now so that you can read. Enjoy!

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**Velociraptors**

* * *

Willow sat up so fast that all her throw pillows and stuffed Care Bear rolled off the bed. A yell escaped her throat but she was too drowsy to know what it was.

__

*taptaptap*

She swiped a hand over her forehead and came away with sweat coating her fingers.

Something about faces. Scary faces. But it was silly to try and recall a nightmare. So Willow slipped her feet off the disheveled bed and into her brown bunny slippers, rubbing sleep out of her eyes.

*taptaptap*

Time. Time? She squinted at the alarm clock. Blue numbers glared back at her and she noticed it was dark in the room. Curtains they must be closed.

*taptaptaptaptaptap*

The clock numbers finally came into focus. 9:06 am. Willows breath hitched. School! Late for wait Saturday no school. Late for. Dentist? No, friends?

*taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptapTAPTAPTAP*

Woodpeckers. Late for woodpeckers? Willow shook her head and finally stood up. Someone must be knocking on the glass doors.

She rubbed the back of her neck as she walked. Sleeping in always gave her a headache. She pulled the curtains aside and was instantly blasted by sunlight and Xanders grin. He continued wrapping the glass impudently.

Willow slid the door back and he followed it with his fist, continuing to tap until there was no door left. She gave him a wincing smile with her eyes squinted almost shut in the daylight.

"Hey, Xander."

"Hi, you know, its a good thing your door is ground level, cause I dont think there are enough pebbles in your yard to wake you up on Saturdays. Plus, the tossing rocks thing is a little passé and might lead to the Let down your hair thing which is embarrassing and probably painful on your end."

"Willow couldnt help smiling wider as she stepped back to let him in. Did we have study date?"

Xander looked offended as he stepped past her. "Me? Study on a Saturday? How very little faith you have in my ability to be an unproductive member of society."

"Sorry, my mistake." She stood a moment at the door, breathing the fresh California air. Then, leaving the door open, she followed Xander in and sat down on the foot of her bed. "So what's up?"

"Well," Xander plunked down on her desk chair. "I was wondering if youre going to the Fun Park with everyone today?"

"Um..." Willow hesitated as her friend bounced up and down in his seat expectantly. "I don't know. I mean, I think Fun Parks are a little boring."

"Boring right, with all that _fun_ going on, things are bound to get unbearably humdrum. And _frolic_, just like a mallet to the brain, you know?"

"Well it's only that, I dont like going on rides very much, and there are these creepy guys dressed like Cows and Scooby Doo walking around trying to hug ya , and the whole things just really unnerving."

"Oh," said Xander, looking suddenly sober. "And clowns, too, right?"

Willow barely concealed a shiver. "Clowns? What m-makes you say clowns?"

"I didn't say it, you did. When I was knocking on your door just now, I heard you shout Clowns! really loud."

"Oh well, Im - yes! I mean, I suppose I don't _enjoy_ - and if you think about it, clowns are very disturbing. With their faces all _painty _and there hair all not hair-like." She folded her hands and tried to look composed. "I'm not sure its natural."

Xander nodded furiously. "No, I totally get that. Clowns are twisted, diabolical, and vicious! Fortunately, I'm pretty sure this a clown-free park."

"And spider-free?"

"I have no clue, but hey, Jesse's gonna go and Amy, too."

Willows mouth twisted up in indecision. "Nmm..."

"And there's a petting zoo Her foot bounced up and down. Ill buy you cotton candy!"

Her eyebrows went up. "Really?"

"No, I'm flat broke, but Ill gladly _steal _cotton candy from the individual of your choice."

She laughed and the tension went out her shoulders. "Okay, I guess."

"Yes!" Xander jumped up, knocked the chair over, righted it, saluted and dashed to the door. He paused in the doorway. "My mom said shed drive, noon good?"

"Yeah."

"Great, see you in two hours."

"Three, Xander."

"Three! Right, I knew that. See, who needs studying?" And with that, he slid the door shut and strode off, hands in his pockets and whistling "Come Fly With Me."

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At 12:07 Willow, wearing her favorite brown skirt and purple sweater, climbed into Mrs. Harris backseat and gave Xander an uncertain high-five. Mrs. Harris was on her car phone.

It was a twenty minute ride to the park and Xander talked non-stop about the Lakers, Jesses birthday party, movies, last years trip the fair, and reiterated how much he hated clowns.

Willow listened happily, offered her opinion whenever he stopped for breath, and blushed when he mentioned her sweater was "The ideal kind of purpleness".

"Oh, and check this out." Xander pulled penlight out of his jacket pocket. "It can glow blue, red and white!"

Willow smiled. "That's _very _patriotic."

He switched it on blue and pointed it at the back of the drivers seat. He then moved his fingers and thumb in front of it, making a talking shadow puppet. "Hello, Willow." He said in an exaggerated falsetto. "If you look out your right window, you will see a beautiful view of the Sunnydale power station. The backdrop of vacant lots and dumpsters gives this area the look and feel of a Victorian ... sewer." Willow laughed and Xander's voice dropped to a gravelly baritone. "If you'll look to your left, you'll see a handsome tenth grader, _firm _of jaw, _bodacious _of noggin -"

"Xander, please!" Mrs. Harris snapped. "I can't hear myself think, let alone the phone."

"Sorry, Mom," He replied in an instant whisper. He ducked his head impishly and pulled his hand, claw-like, towards the penlight giving the appearance of an approaching spider.

Xander! Willow hissed and scrunched into her seat.

"Sorry, right. Arachnophobic. At least your fear has a cool, difficult-to-pronounce name. What do you call a fear of _clowns_?"

"Coulrophobia."

"Of course. I can always count on you."

The corner of Willows mouth twitched up but just then the car stopped.

"Were here," Mrs. Harris announced dully. "Have a good time, I'll pick you both up at nine."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Thanks Mrs. Harris." They said in unison.

The minute the Willow popped her door open she was greeted by the smell of fireworks and pork rinds. Xander came around to her side and they made their way to the entrance.

The moment they got in line Jesse McNally and Amy Madison came to stand behind them.

The latter two chattered excitedly while they we're waiting.

"You guys have gotta ride the bumper cars!" Amy insisted. "Oh my gosh, it is _so fun_. But don't go on the Ferris Wheel, it isn't nearly as fun as people want you to believe. And the teacups -"

"Did you hear they finished the new rollercoaster?" Jesse broke in. "It's called the Railwracker and goes upside down three times."

"Ooh, we should _all _go on the _Barney _ride!" whined a new voice and they all turned at once to see Shaw Phillips and Andrew Manning snickering. It was Andrew who'd spoken. "And then, we can all get some cookie dough ice-cream -"

He looked at Shaw and they said in unison, "To_gether. Awwww_!"

"Hate to break it to ya," said Jesse. "But you two are sorta going to the same fair as us."

Shaw, apparently having no immediate comeback, turned his steely eyes on Xander and nodded at the penlight dangling from his belt loop. "Nice kiddy light. Dollar Stop?"

"Nice hair," remarked Amy. "Lawn mower?"

"Dollar _City," _Xander muttered indignantly.

"At least I don't have to poof up my hair like a third pom-pom, Mommas girl," Shaw shot back at Amy. "What was it again?" His voice went high pitched. _"Three hours in the morning and three at night_."

"Shut up!" Jesse bit out.

"Okay!" Willow came around Xander and stood in front of the two boys, palms up. "Now lets just all take a deep breath -" she hesitated, suddenly uncertain. "And, um - we can just go about our _own _business."

"Sure thing, Beautiful." said Andrew with a sneer. "Whatever you say."

"Okay good." Willow smiled nervously. "Now we can all have nice time."

"Yeah?" Andrew stepped forward till his chest was up against her hands. "How nice?"

"Hey, back off, man!" Jesse half shouted.

Xander jumped forward and shoved him in the middle with impressive force.

Andrew stumbled past Shaw who grabbed a fistful of Xander's shirt, Jesse took a menacing step towards both of them, and Amy pulled Willow back.

"Ex_cuse_ me!" They all whipped around, hands dropping, angry expressions vanishing, to look at the lady in the ticket booth. "How _many_?"

"Sorry," Jesse said after a pause and walked back to the front of the group. He handed her two twenties. "Four, please."

"Thank you," she answered, scowling at the lot of them. "You kids aren't going to make trouble, are ya?"

"No ma'am." They all murmured. She handed them their tickets warily.

Leaving the two delinquents in line, the four weaved their way towards the fair rides in silence.

Finally, Amy spoke up. "Well I guess we could split up?"

"Sure," said Xander. "You guys go ride your roller coaster."

"You don't wanna come, Xan?" said Jesse.

Xander glanced up at the twisted mettle arks from which screaming emanated. "Uh... thanks. I choose life."

Jesse shrugged and he and Amy ran off to the thrill ride section, giggling already.

"Sorry," said Willow suddenly. "I guess I kinda made that whole situation worse, huh?"

"Eah, don't sweat it, Will," Xander replied distractedly, still watching the Railwracker. "Those guys are just jerks."

"I just wish Andrew would leave me alone. I don't know what his problem is."

"He has a thing for pretty girls, apparently. _Hey_, corn-dogs!" Xander bee-lined for the snack stand, leaving Willow by the SkiBall machines, wearing a timid smile and red cheeks.

* * *

_TBC_


	2. Chapter 2

**Velociraptors**, continued. Thank you to everyone who's reading!

* * *

Xander and Willow agreed to start off with a simple ride to get adjusted, so after five minutes in line, they climbed into an oversized teacup, and turned the silver wheel till they were spinning the rest of the fair into a blur, laughing loudly the whole time.

When they got off, Xander excused himself to go to the restroom and "Check his hair". He came back looking less pale and wiping his mouth with a paper towel. "So, you didn't want to go on the teacups again, did you?" he asked hopefully.

Willow hid a smile and suggested they try the Carousal instead. Xander scored the dragon and Willow climbed on a flowery horse next him. It was fun, but got old after the first dozen turns.

Afterwards, Xander insisted that if they could handle the Carousal, they could handle ..._anything_, so they headed for the Farris Wheel.

The metal seats were hot from sitting in the sun but they sat down and buckled in tight. "Okay, this is good," Xander said lightly.

The seat moved back and the ride director loaded on the next two kids. This step was repeated four times before the wheel began spinning and by that point, Willow and Xander were very near the top.

"This is good, this is great," Xander s knuckles went white on the rail.

Willow began shaking her head fast. "Oh no, no, no..." They reached the top and began falling towards the ground, yelling all the way.

"Okay, no, it's fine," Xander garbled while they sped up and approached the top again.

"It's not that high. There are higher things…. Airplanes for instance."

Willow screwed her eyes shut, still shaking her head. "Just tell me when it's over!"

They made the stomach churning trip more times than either of them cared to count, and then it stopped to allow the first bucket to empty. Unfortunately, it stopped with Willow and Xander at the very top.

Willow let out a little yelp. "Ah! Okay, this is _not_ pleasant."

"I concur entirely, human beings weren't built to be this far off the ground, or else we would have been born with wings, or at least some kind of landing gear." They moved again and Willow clapped her hands to the rail. "Dah! Don t rock it!"

"We wouldn't last two minutes on a roller coaster."

"Roller coaster nothing," exclaimed Xander. "I'm never going a on an _escalator_ after this!" They reached the end of their terrifying experience and Xander wobbled back onto the ground and gave Willow a hand down. "Hey, let s go again!"

"Don't joke." Willow staggered a few paces ahead. Silently, she wondered if her face was as pale as Xander's or paler. "You know ...the bumper cars stay on the... on the ground all a the time."

They agreed to try and wound up having so much fun, they came out and got in line for the next round. They both decided that this was the best ride for them, although Xander teased Willow constantly for apologizing every time she bumped someone.

As they were running back around for their fifth go, Amy and Jesse ran up, excited and out of breath.

"Hey, guys, everyone's going to the Haunted House, wanna come?"

"It's got like twelve rooms, biggest Haunted House tour in California! Everyone from our class who came is in line now."

"Well..." Xander looked at Willow who winced but shrugged.

"I guess, it's not like a ride or anything. Just walking, right?"

"Oh yeah, it s totally cheesy," Amy assured her. "But there's like fog machines and cobwebs and stuff, it should be a riot! Come on, please?"

The two best friends exchanged glances again and Willow sighed. "Okay, just for a little bit."

"Awesome!" Jesse took off in the lead and they all followed listening to Amy go on about the _Railwracker_ and the _Scream-Steam_.

They had just arrived when the man at the entrance called out, Next group of fifteen! and half the Sunnydale High freshman class filed in beneath a sign reading _Haunted Manner: Beware the Evil Within!_

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The Park Security Station buzzed with activity as the six overworked, underpaid security guards rushed from monitor, to coffee pot, to phone, and back to monitor again.

"Check the bumper cars again."

"Hey, pull up the feed for the caf , would ya'?"

"Hank, get your own coffee!"

"Never mind, it was nothing."

"Hey, tell Johnston to get in here, he's fired again."

Thomas Sherman, chief Day Guard, leaned against the back of his chair, right palm over left fist. "Sheryl?" he called without looking up from the computer before him. "There's another group headed into the Haunted Mansion. All teens. Could you tell Johnston to cover it?"

"Max says he's fired again."

"Max aint in charge, is he?"

"Right, you got it, Chief."

But Sheryl never got her walkie-talkie to her mouth. Her shrill scream was the first alert to the five Vampires standing suddenly inside the station door. The one on the far right had already finished with her by the time Thomas had leapt to his feet and whipped out his gun.

"Hey, now," The center Vampire said in a oily voice. He raised a dark eyebrow over flashing yellow eyes. "No need to be unpleasant. Unless you weren't planning to call off all the security around your haunted house and hand yourselves over for desert." Thomas cocked the gun. "No? Well, then I guess unpleasantness is inevitable."

Within minutes, every camera in the park silently switched off as the _Railwracker_ drowned out the sound of Thomas gun fire.

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It was six o'clock in the evening, the sun had barely begun to turn orange, but the moment Willow set foot inside the Haunted Mansion, the only lights were red, blue, and green and the air was hot and close. The sixteen-year-olds were instantly greeted by a blast of artificial fog and the sound of cackling. They were standing in the foyer on a moth-eaten rug, with a ghostly chandelier and Amy s promised cobwebs hanging from the ceiling.

Harmony Kendall and her bored-looking boyfriend stepped towards the unsteady staircase and a disembodied plastic hand shot out of the second step. Harmony squealed and laughed a little too loudly.

When Jonathan Levinson walked into the living room, a projector switched on and cast a poorly animated image of a sunken-eyed women, moaning about her tragic murder "In this very house!" .

To the right of the staircase was a room with huge TV screen, playing a scene from Ghostbusters.

After the hand in the steps, most people decided to start on the first level. Willow followed Xander uneasily towards the kitchen .

"Is this an appropriate source of amusement for kids our age?" Willow started babbling. "I mean, we are the future of America, the beacon of hope for the next generation, and here we are, walking around a theme park in search of self-pleasure and cheap thril - Aah!"

A giant black, polyester spider dropped from the ceiling on a cable and brushed the top of Willow's head. She leapt backwards, stepping on Xander s foot and knocking her elbow against the wall. "Spider!"

Two of Harmony s friends laughed derisively at her. "What's a' matter, Willow?" called Sandra. "You know, if it was a little bigger, you could make it into a hat. Could only improve the outfit."

Xander took her arm and led her towards the dining room. "You know, I, too, am beginning to lose faith in my peers."

"Why would anyone want to make a living off of monsters? I wouldn t even wanna _read_ about stuff like that."

"Aw, you could read a book about anything as long as it s in one of the seven common languages or Gaelic."

Willow donned a shy smile. "Actually my Gaelic is a little rusty."

They hesitated inside the dining room. Fog machines poured out smoke which smelled chemically of blackberries.

"Hey, look!" Xander pointed at a portrait above the dining room table. It pictured an old man holding up a bloodied ax like a trophy. "That guy looks just like my Uncle Quinn. Now you'd really like him. He can shuck corn with his feet."

Willow laughed nervously. "I know you Uncle Quinn, I met him last year at your family reunion."

"Right, that makes sense. Here! Have a seat." He moved to pull out a chair and discovered it was bolted to the floor. "You know, people who screw chairs down really make chivalry impossible." He made a ridiculous display of trying to stuff himself into the ten inch space between the chair back and table.

Willow grinned, feeling a little more relaxed.

But just as she ventured a step forward and another plastic hand jumped from the floor and snapped at her foot. She yelped and stumbled against one of the chairs which began to vibrate and a deep throated laugh erupted from a ceiling speaker, followed by a blood-curdling scream.

"Xander..."

Someone set off something in the living room and red lights flashed through the doorway. Xander came and stood beside her. She was shaking. "Xander, could we maybe go now?" Willow's cheeks burned. She felt like a total chicken.

But Xander didn't even smile. He glanced at Sandra-and-crew who were cackling again and yelling something unintelligible to Willow. "Yeah, let's go ride the bumper cars again before they close."

"Okay," Willow's faint smile returned. "That'd be fun."

They made their way toward the glowing EXIT sign at the end of the living room, ignoring Harmony and her boyfriend kissing on the dusty couch.

Xander pushed on the crash-bar with both hands, but as he did, it swung back from the outside. In the fading light of the outdoors, Willow scarcely made out a silhouette standing inches from Xander.

"Oops, sorry," said the figure. His arm flew up and he backhanded Xander across the face, sending him flying into the side of the couch. No exits this way.

"Xander!" Willow screamed and raced to him.

The rest of the teenagers froze inside the living room. A few took one look at Xander and silently bolted for the entrance.

"Right then!" Shouted the man. "Everyone, please remain calm and stay exactly where you are."

A deeper voice behind the group of teens added, "Easier to kill you that way."

Sudden panic erupted from the center outward, and everyone was running in a different direction at once.

Jonathan careened around the arm chair and tripped over Sandra, who was sitting on the floor, wailing. Harmony and Dian Parker ran into each other and fell on top of Harmony s boyfriend.

Willow was on the floor next to Xander. She caught a glimpse of Amy dashing around the corner and Mara Black fleeing back through the dining room, but just then, like the flip of a switch, the entire Mansion was plunged into complete darkness. Even the glowing red eyes and fake candles went out.

Someone barreled into Willow and her chin hit the floor painfully. The noise was deafening. Over the screams and running feet, Willow heard Xander come to and mutter, "He hit me... wha-the heck?"

"Xander," She rolled over and ducked as someone jumped over her head. "Quick, get up!" The noise was beginning to move back towards the foyer. Willow put a trembling hand on Xander's shoulder to get his attention. "Is there another exit somewhere?"

"I don't know," said Xander, becoming alert. "I saw a door near the fireplace earlier." While he spoke, he got carefully to his feet. He crouched several feet forward and started feeling along the wall, trying to find the knob. "Hang on..." He unclipped the penlight from his belt and switched it on white.

From the little glow, Willow saw the living room was now empty. She could hear people running around near the entrance. Mara Black was screaming. "We have to help them, Xander. We can t just -"

"Found it!" Xander pulled on the doorknob. The door swung back and a green-haired, grinning clown, as big as Willow, shot out hands first.

The two of them let out a long, loud "AAAAAHH!!!"

When Willow stopped, Xander kept going and punched the clown in the middle.

The clown, however, was already pulling back into a cupboard just inside the dark little room. Its cupboard shut automatically.

"Maybe we should try the exit again," said Willow, panting.

"Okay. Yeah." Xander ran to the heavy door and pushed the bar. Nothing happened. He tried again and, getting still nothing, he slammed his whole weight against it. "It's locked. They must ve locked it behind them."

"Who are they? Why -" Suddenly, someone grabbed her arm from behind and she was jerked back. She started to yell, but a hand clapped over her mouth and the hand on her arm clawed in harder.

* * *

_TBC_

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the reviews and for reading! Here's part 3.

* * *

**Velociraptors**, continued.

* * *

"Shut up, will ya'?"

Xander raced over and shoved the assailant away. The hand slid off Willow's mouth and Xander backed up, pulling her with him. "Would you knock it off, Andrew? One of these days I'm gonna lose it and _seriously… _attempt to kill you."

"Oh, real convincing, Harris. You could probably beat up a straw on a good day."

"Where is everyone?" Willow broke in anxiously.

Andrew's eyes were still wide with panic. "How should I know? - maybe a bunch got out, I don't know and I don't care! Listen, you guys gotta help me, I can't take it! They're going to kill _everyone_. Harris, give me your light!"

Xander shook his head. "Why?"

"There has to be a way out, Moron! I am _not _gonna die in here! GOT IT?!"

"Quiet down!" Xander hissed. He glanced warily at the dark hall. "Okay, listen. This door's locked but there might be another -"

"Another" what is unknown, because at that moment, a pare of sickly white hands clamped onto Andrew's shoulders and he was pulled from the circle of light, screaming.

To Willow, everything else was a blur of movement, punctuated by the penlight's erratic spotlight. It briefly landed on Andrew and his attacker, just feet away, then on Xander's face, the hallway, then back on Andrew and Willow saw something red trickling down his neck.

Then Xander was spinning her around, backing up, and pulling her forward till she heard a door slam and they were standing in the small room with the cupboard-clown.

The moment they were inside Willow pushed him away. "Xander, we can't leave him out there!"

"We don't have a choice." Xander strode to the corner and tipped a plaster skeleton out its chair. The chair, fortunately wasn't bolted to the floor.

Andrew's screams came, muffled, through the closed door.

"So we're just gonna hide in here?" He didn't answer but walked past her and wedged the chair under the doorknob. "Xander!"

The screams stopped, replaced by moaning silence. It made Willow's skin crawl. She wanted the sounds back.

"You don't think…" She said in a terrified whisper. "Is Andrew… dead?" Xander faced the door mutely. "Is he _dead_?!" she cried, louder than she'd meant.

"I don't know!" He finally looked up at her. "But we're going to be fine in here, alright? The security guards or something will figure it out and call the police. We just have to wait'um out."

"He's -" Willow wrapped an arm around her middle and backed into the corner. A rushing sensation filled her stomach and made her head spin. "He - can't be. I know him…he goes to school… has parents -"

"Willow - Willow! Hey…" Xander crossed the small room and grabbed her upper arms, half getting her attention, half steadying her. "We don't know anything yet, we just have to… stay calm. Pretty sure that's how it works."

"I'm really scared, Xander," Willow's voice wobbled all over the place. "D-did you see them?"

"Only a flash. Guy looked like he was wearing some kind of Halloween mask."

"What about Jesse and Amy? If we're all locked in, how come no one's noticed?" she grabbed Xander's elbows with shaking hands. "Why are they doing this?"

Xander shook his head. "I - I just don't know. But I know this: you, me, Jess and Amy we're the protagonists. Which means we'll be okay. Just like Jurassic Park two!"

"What?"

"Yeah, you know that part where they're walking through all the tall grass and a bunch of the team are just vanishing one at a time cause the velocaraptors are picking them off?"

_"Xan_der…"

"No, but see, all the main characters made it out! Everyone else was an extra."

Willow's forehead creased. "Andrew's not an extra. I mean - maybe he's sort of improper and… okay, he's a - a jerk, but no one deserves to…"

She stared up at Xander who looked serious. "That's not what I meant. My point is, nothing's going to happen to us, Will. Okay? Nothing. We'll get out of here and go to school on Monday where I will flunk the biology test, and everything will be fine because I wont let anyone near you. Velociraptors or otherwise." Willow bit her lip. He cocked a small smile. "Now if that gives you any more comfort than hiding behind a cloud of gnats, just nod a little."

She gently bobbed her head and relaxed her grip on his elbows. "Okay."

His smile widened. "Okay. Now let's go before the penlight dies." he walked back to the door, leaned over the chair and listened. After a pause, "I don't hear them anymore."

"It's quiet upstairs, too. Maybe everyone got out?"

Xander carefully slid the chair away and turned the knob as slowly as possible. Willow stood still in the corner. He poked his head out, then shone the light around. "I think it's clear," came a whisper. "Stay close, I'm going to turn off the light."

She ran forward and grabbed his hand. With an ominous _click! _the penlight went out and pitched them into darkness again. The two crept from the room, avoiding the shadows of props and spring-loaded booby traps.

"Xander, I see the entrance," Willow hissed.

They sped for it.

Just feet away, Xander abruptly stopped and Willow ran into him. Then she jumped back, dragging Xander with her to crouch beside the stairs.

Right in front of the door, a black shadow loomed. At first Willow thought it was one huge being but then her eyes adjusted a little more and she saw it was two figures, one standing, the other limp, held up by the first.

A noxious sucking noise came from the figure. Willow heard a voice speak up causally from the other side of the stairs.

"Having fun?"

The limp half of the shadow fell to the floor with a dull thud. The half still standing answered throatily, "Buckets. You?"

"Ran out. I was sure there were more of them. You didn't let any get away, did you?"

"_Let _is a rather fluid term. The lockdown delayed, most got out this door. I locked it just now. Astor and Hyrum wont be happy if we don't bring them any, you know."

"They'll survive. If it'll help, we can swing by the fitness center on the way back. I only got one."

"Same here," replied the deeper voice and gestured at the lifeless shadow on the floor. "I don't think Lyle got any. He left, by the way."

"Fool. If I didn't know him, I - wait, shh!"

Willow flinched as her foot slipped from under her and scraped the concrete floor. Xander tensed behind her. She pulled it back, biting her bottom lip till it nearly bled.

"What?"

"Shut up!"

The silence split her ears. Footsteps approached their pathetic hiding place.

Suddenly, Xander made a rapid throwing motion and Willow heard something clatter into the television room.

The two shadows stopped short, then swooped away toward the sound. Willow felt Xander tug on her sleeve and they stole to the foot of the stairs. Willow tried to get a glimpse of the still figure on the floor, but Xander yanked her up the steps before she could.

At the top was a doorway into a "bedroom". There must have been some small window or crack because a little natural light pooled on the room's floor. It illuminated a low four-poster and brass lamp stand.

The two teenagers stopped inside the bedroom door. They could just make out each other's pale faces. "Okay," Xander whispered. "We need a plan. There's gotta be a way out and we know it's not downstairs."

"Um -" Willow was shaking. Stop it, think! "F-fire escape? I mean, they must've put in a way out on the second floor… in case of fire, right?"

"Yes, perfect!"

They heard the murmur of voices downstairs and Willow grabbed his sleeve. "Do you think everyone else got out already?"

"Yeah, I think so," Xander replied, though he didn't look sure.

"Well… so we just have to find an exit and… you have the penlight so -"

"Actually," he looked sheepish. "I sorta', chucked it - into the den."

"Oh… okay, that's good. I mean - and _smart_, too. So, I don't see a door in here, maybe there's another bedroom?"

"Okay." Willow started to walk but Xander caught her arm. She looked at him. "No matter what, we stay together, right?"

Willow looked confused. "Of course. Xander, of course we will, I can't -"

They jumped as the bottom step squeaked downstairs and suddenly, they were running.

Willow's Mary Janes made little tip-tap noises against the hard floor. With no light whatsoever, she started to feel like the upstairs was just a labyrinth of shadowed obstacles, sharp corners, and dead ends. _"Biggest Haunted House tour in California!"_

Once or twice, she ran into Xander or a wall, but was too terrified to even notice.

When they stopped, Willow noticed she was still clutching Xander's sleeve. She hoped he knew where he was going.

Some ten feet and two doorways behind them, she heard the thud of footsteps and unintelligible muttering.

"They're upstairs!" she whispered breathlessly.

Then, something caught her eye. A dim, reddish glow coming from the doorway to their right. "Xander," she practically mouthed and tugged his sleeve.

They darted into a room that turned out to be another pretend bedroom.

Just a few feet away stood a door with a sign above it glowing "EXIT" like a beacon of good fortune.

They simultaneously crossed the room and shoved their weight on it, just long enough to discover there was no give.

At that moment, Willow felt a sharp movement beside her. Xander gave a choked yell and she spun around in time to see him strike the opposite wall and slump to the floor, dazed.

"Xand -!" Willow's cry broke off into a gasp as she felt an arm snake around her shoulders and an oily voice hiss close to her ear.

"Well, I daresay, you're sweeter, sweetheart." She felt hot breath on her shoulder and froze, pinned against the stranger's chest. "But my dad always told me, life's short. Eat dessert first."

He fingered a piece of her long, red hair, then grabbed a handful. The room flipped over as he forced her head to the side. Willow's heart shot into her throat and choked a scream into a sob. "No!"

The man snarled and sunk his teeth in.

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_TBC_


	4. Chapter 4

Okay, here's the last chapter! Thanks to everyone who took the time to read this!

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**Velociraptors**, continued.

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Without warning, Xander barreled, head first, into him and they all three fell sideways.

Willow found herself on the bottom with the man's thick, leather coat stuffed against her face. The next moment, she was free and she pulled herself up by the bed, hand automatically touching the little spot of blood on her neck.

Xander was still on top of the attacker. He tried to throw a punch but wound up with his elbow mashing the other's face in. "Will, run!"

"Bu' you said -"

"GO!"

Without thinking, she turned on her heal and fled.

Willow felt she'd never run so fast in her life and wasn't sure how to stop. By the time she did, she was nearly to the top of the stairs again.

Her mind spun through every possible hiding place. What if the other man was still downstairs? The doors were all locked… light!

She ran into the bedroom adjacent to the stairs again. There it was, the little pool of light. But where was it coming from?

Her eyes scanned the walls and ceiling. There! A small rippled window, six feet up the wall. A little orange light from the setting sun made it through the thick distortion of glass.

Willow thought she could fit, but Xander… she looked over her shoulder at the dark hall. Where was he?

Suddenly, she heard a shout from down the hall. It was followed by a crash, but Willow was already running at top speed.

What'd she been thinking? There was another crash and cry of pain. Panic caught in her chest like an air bubble, expanding it till she exploded, "XANDER!"

But no sooner had the word left her mouth than she slammed into something tall and immovable. She bounced back, a bug off a windshield, and fell flat on her back.

"Oh, good," said the deep, throaty voice above her. "One more for the road."

She stumbled to her feet and backed into the bedroom. The second man followed at a leisurely pace, stepping around the patch of light.

"Leave me alone," Willow said, trembling.

The dark figure shrugged. "Alright, then." He turned slowly towards the doorway, then whipped back around and lunged at her.

Willow leapt back, startled, and collided with the brass lamp stand. She flinched as pain spiraled across her shoulder blades. The man was now right in her face, grinning maliciously. He made a grab for her throat and she ducked away, snatching the lamp stand.

He laughed at that. "What are you gonna do, Sugar? Clock me one good?"

Willow was tired of dodging. There was no way out until she fought back. So she did the most instinctive thing and swung the stand over her shoulder, propelling it at his head with all her might.

"All her might" wasn't particularly impressive, but the adrenaline packed just enough force to throw him off balance.

He fell.

The sharp, wooden post at the corner of the bed was waiting for him.

Willow fell, too, and the lamp stand clattered to the floor with her. For a moment, she didn't get up, expecting to feel hands locked on her arms, or perhaps something sharp in her back. But there was nothing.

She raised her head just slightly. The man had vanished.

For a few moments, she stayed, motionless, on the floor, without looking around. Perhaps if she had, she'd have noticed the new layer of dust, powdered across the top of the bed.

Once her breath had half returned, she got slowly to her feet and picked up the lamp stand again

With her last bit of fear-sick energy, she wielded it at the high window.

__

Smack!

It didn't make a dent, so she swung again.

"You'd better fit, Xander." She smacked the glass with every statement. "Because I am _not_," a crack formed. "Leaving," it spider-webbed across the window. "Without you!"

There was a crash followed by the tinkling of shattered glass. Willow dropped the lamp and covered her head with both arms. When she looked up, there was orange sunlight streaming through the window frame.

And right at that moment, Xander fell backwards through the doorway.

"Xander!"

At the same time, he spun and shouted, "Willow!"

The oily-voiced man suddenly rushed into the room, charging toward Xander.

Then, three things happened so fast, it was impossible to know which happened first.

Xander shot to his feet and backed up, Willow's shoes rolled over the window glass, and she stumbled onto the dusty bed, and the killer ran into the spotlight of sun and, without any reason or warning, burst into flame.

For a moment, Willow saw his face, twisted and unnatural.

But the dazzling blaze burned only a few seconds before it vanished as soon as it had come. The children had only a moment to process this before the smoke alarms suddenly went off and the sprinklers began spinning, dumping down cold water.

The man with the oily voice had disappeared.

A recording started playing through the ceiling speakers. "Danger! Fire! All park visitors please proceed calmly and with caution to one of the marked exit doors. Danger! Fire!" and on and on.

Willow felt Xander's hand in hers. She stood up and followed him to the back wall.

"Step up!" He shouted over the din and laced his fingers together.

Willow stuck one foot in his hands and jumped for the window ledge. At the last moment, she thought to rest her sleeve-protected arms on the sill instead of her hands, as the sill was still littered with sparkling chunks of glass.

Xander boosted her up till she was able to get her waist through. Outside was a ledge, set into the side of the Mansion, about eight feet up. It was for decoration only, but deep enough to kneel on.

Willow reached back through the window frame and held out a hand to Xander. He took it, grabbed the edge with his other hand, and jumped. She pulled and he pushed his head and arms through, got stuck for a moment around his waist, but scraped and slid till he was dragging his legs out.

Willow then scooted several feet down the ledge and sat with her knees tucked under her chin. Xander followed and collapsed next to her, his feet dangling in midair.

The noise and confusion were so muffled now that they could hear their own panting.

The orange sunlight made long shadows of all the people below. The carousel ran on and parents waved at their seven-year-olds as if nothing had happened.

"Rats," Xander spoke up. "Looks like they've closed the bumper cars." He looked at her with a little teasing smile. "Next year?"

Willow sniffed. She tried and failed to return the smile and it flopped into a trembling jaw. "C'mere," she heard Xander murmur, and she leaned into his one-armed-hug, just barely managing not to outright cry.

His sweater was as sopping as hers and there were little bits of glass stuck in the cotton. She absently picked a larger piece out and listened to his shoes drip water off the edge.

"That wasn't fun," she said.

Xander actually laughed. "Well, you gotta give the place props for an authentic thrill show. Course I think we could have left out all the screaming and the blood, and… hey, what was with the guy spontaneously catching fire, anyway?"

In the fading sunset, Willow realized that the better half of Xander's face was swollen, and a patch just below his eye was already turning a yellowish black. Blood oozed slowly from his bottom lip as well as a gash on his forehead.

Willow's hand went to her own little wound, crusted and sticky on her neck. "You saved my life, Xander," she said softly.

"Eah…" he shrugged a shoulder.

"You got hurt and lost your penlight and…" she grabbed some loose threads on his sweater. "Look, they ripped your favorite shirt!" her face fell. "Does it hurt a lot?"

"Nah," Xander grinned. "It wasn't even a real fight, I was just showing him the finer points of effectively wiping the floor with a human carcass. He did well for his first time."

Willow glanced at the window frame. "Do you think they're still in there?"

Seemingly in answer to her question, they heard sirens from the other side of the house, and a bang as the entrance door was kicked in.

They exchanged looks and carefully stood up on the ledge. They edged along till they got to the second floor emergency exit and stepped carefully down the rusty catwalk.

When they reached the ground level, Xander jumped off the bottom step and gave Willow a hand down. The Mansion was quickly being surrounded by police, firemen, and panicked parents.

Xander made his way towards the entrance and Willow, still holding onto his hand, followed.

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It must have rained while they were inside, because the pavement was wet and smelled sweet. Since the sun had now fully set, most of the light came from the fire-truck and ambulances.

Willow sat on an ambulance bumper, wrapped in a scratchy, blue blanket. Xander was next to her, flinching away from a flustered paramedic who was trying to bandage his head.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Xander spluttered.

"Just hold still, son, please!"

"You know, we could leave it. I'm good with the whole 'bleeding to death' concept -Ah!"

"There." The paramedic stood back to admire his work. "Come to Sunnydale General in a week or so, and we'll check on those stitches, alrighty?"

"Yeah… thanks," Xander smiled briefly and touched the white bandage gingerly.

The paramedic nodded to Willow and then ran across the wet pavement to the second ambulance. Two other doctors were loading a gurney into the back.

It was then that Willow saw Jesse and Amy racing towards them. Amy got there first and flung her arms around Willow's neck.

"Hey, you guys are okay…" Willow murmured and tried very hard not to hit the crash cart behind her.

Over top of her, Amy cried, "You're alright!" She stepped back and Jesse came up next to her.

"We - we weren't sure if…" he shook his head and thumped Xander on the back. "Still kickn' though. I told Amy but she -"

"Oh my gosh, when you guys didn't come out with the rest of us, we tried to get back inside but the doors were all locked. So we went to the security office and…" she trailed off and looked down at her shoes. Jesse just stuck his hand in his pockets. Amy went on quietly, "All the guards were dead. It was just…"

Jesse decided to take over. "We went to the phone to call 911, but they weren't working. So Amy ran to the box office and I went to find the park manager."

"The box office was empty, too," said Amy. "I was just running to find Jesse when I heard people screaming by the Farris Wheel. Someone like, sabotaged the motor! It was stuck with all the people on it, that's why no one knew about what was going on in the Mansion," she glanced between Xander and Willow. "I think it was an inside job. Someone from the park broke the motor as a _distraction_."

"_Any_way," Jesse broke in. "I found the manager and she called the police. They were just getting here when the fire alarms went off! Was there a fire inside? How many guys -"

"Did everyone make it out?" Xander interrupted.

Willow didn't look up.

Amy nodded. "Almost everyone. Mara Black was unconscious when they brought her out, but I thought I heard one of the nurses say she'd be okay."

"What about Andrew?" Willow asked of the pavement.

"He uh…"

To emphasize the tension, the ambulance doors slammed shut twelve feet from them. "He didn't make it," Jesse finished dully.

Willow finally looked up at Xander.

"You know we couldn't have -" he started.

"I know," Willow took a deep breath and smiled a little. "I'm okay."

Xander only nodded.

Amy just looked confused and went on, "Well… anyhow, the police said they couldn't find any sign of the guys who did it. The two in the security office were long gone, and I guess the three inside found a way out. By the way, Xander, we called your mom, she's already on her way." She sighed. "I'm just so relieved you guys are alright! What happened in there?"

They both opened their mouths with no idea where they'd begin.

There was no need, however, because just as Xander was making the first preparatory noises ("uh… right, well… see, um…" and so on) Mrs. Harris' car pulled in a few feet away and she leapt out, ranting.

Between Xander's attempts to inform her he was alright, Willow caught phrases such as "Got a call on root 15, turned around in traffic" and "Manager should be ashamed" and "How could you make me worry like that, Xander?"

Amy and Jesse timidly excused themselves, with a quick "See you guys Monday." Amy whispered "Leave nothing out," in Willow's ear, then they rushed off to find their own parents.

Mrs. Harris finally climbed in the drivers seat, muttering "When Alan hears about this…"

Xander opened Willow's door, then ran around the car to his own. Barely dry and very sore, the two sat in silence while Mrs. Harris went on muttering.

Within the first five minutes of driving they were both fast asleep, Willow with her feet up on the seat, Xander slouched so far, his legs sprawled all over the foot space.

While she slept, Willow found herself in a dream. But this time there were no clowns. Instead there were snake-like dinosaurs which chased her down an endless hallway, cackling loudly, "Where you going, Sweetheart? Slow down, Sugar!"

She tripped and fell on her knees. Whenever she tried to get up, something seemed to pull her down. So she crawled, so slow she was sure there must be two feet of quicksand under her.

The two Velociraptors came rushing at her impossibly fast, bloody teeth bared.

Willow almost screamed, but suddenly Xander was there, kneeling on the floor in front of her. He looked her in the eyes said firmly, "Nothing's going to happen to us, Will. Okay?"

Then everything went orange and gold and she heard his voice a long way off. "I won't let anything near you."

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Nothing's going to happen to us, Will. Nothing.

The nightmare dissipated, and something random and silly about peaches and Sandra's homecoming dress flipped through her mind, and in the background, someone was whistling "Come Fly With Me".

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THE END

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Thanks again!

*Incidentally, the movie The Lost World: Jurassic Park, was not released until about nine months after this fic takes place. However, if this bugs anybody, the novel by Michael Crichton on which this movie was published seven years before. Just thought I'd throw that in for accuracy's sake. ;)


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